Sunday, April 28, 2013

Happy Birthday, Natey and Opa!!

Nathanael Frank Sebo
Born: April 28, 2003
 
Nathanael: "God has given"
 
Frank: "Dilligent"
 
Hendrik Egide Sebo  
Born: April 28, 1936
 
Hendrik: "home ruler"
 
Happy Birthday, Natey and Opa!! We love you both very much!!:D
 
 
"No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment
You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,and their righteousness is from Me,” says the Lord."  Isaiah 54:17

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Soap, Hiking and Skirts

About a month ago, Mommy tried making laundry detergent and we were very pleased with the results! It is a good way to know for sure what's in the soap and, how to do these things in general! It's also so much less expensive!:) Monday morning, we made another batch. Timmy helped grate the soap.;)
Melting the soap mixture......
Pouring the soap mixture into 3 gallons of water........
Stirring......
Mommy got this idea from a lady(youtube) who recommended putting the recipe on the side of the bucket to have it handy.....good idea!

Ryan always said that when he got to be "old enough" he wanted to take his siblings  on trips. Last Thursday was the first outing to Palomar Mountain for a picnic lunch and hike.:) 

We had a full car- Ryan, Daniel, Isaiah, Natey and I.:)
For lunch we enjoyed sandwiches, sweet tea, and seafood salad......
 We really like sourdough.....;)
We sat under a tree facing this lovely view, Doane Pond......
This fellow hung around while we were eating and was very noisy.:P
This picture has a story behind it.;) (After lunch we were cleaning up and Isaiah and I (who were the last to head for the parking lot) walked up just in time, to see Ryan (farther up ahead) calling to Natey to come help him quickly, as he was losing his grip on the water pack. Natey, whose mind was far away, didn't realize the situation and picked up his pace a bit, while holding the bag of potato chips and humming to himself. Again Ryan called encouraging Natey to hurry! By this time, Ryan had lost the battle with gravity and the water pack fell! Only then did Natey realize what had been happening.;) He ran up to help but, by the time Isaiah and I reached Ryan, no one could pick up the waters as we were all laughing too hard!;)
"Ashley! I asked you if someone had the keys before I locked the car!!!??"
 (Our other adventure: Thinking I had slipped them into Ryan's pocket, Isaiah and I responsibly locked up the car, only to find out after lunch, that Ryan did not have them! After looking around the area and in the guys pockets we decided they must be in the car somewhere. We spent the next twenty minutes trying to get them out! Ryan had left the driver's seat window down a tad, so after many failed ideas and attempts (and there were several!) the guys, using a stick got the door unlocked. There in the back we found the keys safe underneath a jacket.:P Praise the Lord!!! There was a lot of laughing during the whole thing as well. I think we are finding that it's better to laugh out the stress and tension than get mad these days! Things are going to happen and we have to realize the Lord is teaching us something through every single one of them! )
With everything loaded up we drove around to look at the campsites they have there for future reference.....
We ended our afternoon with a nice long hike to Wier's Lookout-a beautiful trail! Even on this trail we had some adventures with plenty of laughing and lessons to learn from! It was a really good time and we spotted some deer! Here we are tired and ready to go home!
On our drive down from the mountain we saw more deer so Daniel snapped a shot..

Back-seat riders......
Thanks Ryan, for the fun trip!!
Mountaintop view........
Ryan kindly stopped to let me take picture of the view from the cliffs...... 
" Palomar Mountain, There and Back Again-A Sebo's Tale, By Ryan Sebo.......;) "

I am very pleased to share with you these last two pictures! A few months ago I started working on some matching skirts for Mommy and Evie, along with some other projects, as a surprise! I have been using the past several Sunday afternoons to work on them in private and have had help from many different people. This past Sunday evening, I brought home the first part of the gift (these skirts) and was very happy to see Mommy and Evie wearing them Monday!:)
Both Caytlin and I had a matching outfits with Mommy when we were little, so we wanted to keep the tradition going! Plus, Mommy and Evie were in need of some new skirts!:)
Daddy was very pleased with this picture as he helped me many times, sneak things out to the car on Sunday mornings to work on the skirts. -It's HARD to surprise Mommy, but always worth it!:D

"I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’
                                                                                                                                       Acts 20:35

Monday, April 08, 2013

Timothy Turns Five

Yesterday, our little Timmy turned 5!:) Here he is in Daddy's new car, ready to go to church.
 Timmy got a bike for his birthday, which Daddy assembled for him.  Dad has lots of fond memories of riding around on one of these Big Wheels.
 Offering advice.....;)
 Waiting is always harder when you're younger. It's hard to learn patience, but it's good practice.:)
Timmy finally got to enjoy his bike!:) Here is a classic example of how brothers work together to share and have fun.:)
 Mom thought Joshua looked like Timmy's mechanic fixing his  car so Timmy could race!
 After evening service, the Berlins who are visiting from Alaska, came over for dinner! They helped us celebrate Timmy's birthday and we had a great time!:)
singing to Timothy....:)
 He requested a banana cake which Mommy made with walnuts, Reese's pieces and cream cheese frosting.:)
 Happy Birthday, Timothy!:)
 Timothy loves to blow out candles, so he especially enjoyed that part.:)
 This picture is almost a peek into the future......one day Timmy, Lord willing, will be a grown man and we all suspect he'll look similar to Daddy.:)
 The little boys really enjoyed talking with Mr. and Mrs. Berlin.:)
 Jacob and Jerusalem are going to be missionaries in another country and we enjoyed hearing about that from them. Jacob also gave a report on it at evening service before coming to our house, but I was the only family member who got to hear it, so he kindly brought some books and pictures to share with the family.:)
  Jerusalem, who is expecting a little boy, looking through pictures and talking with Mom.
 Something funny happened here, but I don't actually know what was being said.:)
 I especially enjoyed meeting Jacob, as he and Jerusalem had gotten married after I met her in 2011. We had a lot of fun talking, and figured out that some of our friends know their friends!  It's really true what they say-it's a small world out there!:)
 Here we all took a group picture-the older boys didn't make it to dinner as they were helping Aunt Adriana move earlier in the afternoon but, they were able to get home and meet the Berlins which was really nice.
 Now one with Daddy.
Jerusalem and I enjoyed getting to see each other again. It had been about 2 years since I we met and the Lord just opened the door to have them over to visit and meet the family.:) 

Back to our Timmy-man. He is growing up so fast. I know I'm always saying that but it's true. One minute they are laying in the crib, the next, they're heading out of the home to follow the Lord's calling. It's a sobering reminder that we should treasure our time with our siblings and family. The Lord has ways of changing our courses when we don't expect it.  We are encouraged to see in Timothy an understanding of obeying the Lord and doing what he says. We continue to pray that the Lord will help him to become a godly man! We love our little guy and we are excited to see how the Lord will bless him!

Timothy Donald Sebo

Timothy-"Honoring God"    Donald- "world leader"
 
Happy birthday, Timmy!! We love you!!:)

"Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity."
                                          1 Timothy 4:12
 

Thursday, April 04, 2013

Great Times Of Fellowship:)

 This is going to be an over-due post with LOTS of pictures!
 
 Back in March we had some friends from church over, Adam Parks and his wife Rachel, for dinner! We enjoyed getting to know them better and had a really special time of godly fellowship!! We especially enjoyed watching the movie Courageous, together as they'd never seen it before!
 
 Adam slipped right into the boys idea of real fun.....;)
 Joshua and Timmy kept Rachel on her feet and listening.....;)
 Natey showing Adam how to climb a rope without knots...
 Natey is usually the best target to tease and play around with. Adam found that out quickly!;)
 The boys were very happy to have Adam, who used to be in the military teach them some tricks on self defense....;)
 Setting the table...:)
 Daddy showing the pictures of our house being built and telling the "blitz build" story.....:)
 We got to have freshly squeezed lemonade thanks to this hard worker!
The boys kept showing Adam all their army and military toys and asking questions-it was pretty cute!
 Mom and Rachel visiting....
 Here the guys were telling some jokes...:P
 Enjoying a good one!;)
 With our limited space, the children sat at the table.....
 ....and Dad, Mom, Adam and Rachel sat in the living room.:D It works well as a secondary eating place.
 After dinner we really enjoyed sitting down together as a family to listen to Adam's life story and testimony. It was a really special time of fellowship, being encouraged to wait on the Lord and trust Him.  (Testimonies always shout the glory of God in such an amazing way! It's so neat to see and hear about His unique handprint on each one.) We all really enjoyed it!
 For dessert we had homemade chocolate peanut butter fudge topped with whipped cream....all home made!
 Adam approved...;)
 Evie really likes to eat on her own now-she's at that messy stage where she can end up wearing her food.;)
 There's something special about sitting down with other believers and feeling right at home because of the common bond we share.:)
 Adam and Rachel really enjoyed watching Courageous and we enjoyed seeing it again. Those kind of movies are such a blessing and there's always something to identify with in it, which makes it really special. No matter how many times I've seen this movie, I always feel encouraged and inspired to keep on trusting the Lord. He has everything in His hands, and will do everything just right, in His timing.
 It's always neat to see how the Lord brings us in different ways, through the same lessons, and how we can understand one another even when the details aren't the same!:)
So, we have officially adopted Adam into the family as he reminds of our Uncle Johnny-the boys really enjoy his company.:) We're looking forward to having them over for dinner again in the future!:)
 
 That Friday, the Pau family invited us over for dinner and a movie. We really enjoyed spending time with them, they are  an inspiring example of how Christians are called to show hospitality. 
 
 The little boys shared a table with Josiah.......;)
 The Pau's made a  carbonated juice blend that was really good. They affectionately call it " happy juice."
Mr. Pau made us popcorn for the appetizer and the main course was taco salad
  The Pau's home has a really neat layout with two eating areas  Us older girls sat in the other dining room with Evie.;) We had a wonderful time talking and watching Evie explore her plate!
 And Caytlin and Lizzie sat at "the counter with stools"
 Mom and Mrs. Pau are so cute together and real peas in a pod!:)
 Talking after dinner....
 It's really fun to see the little boys and Josiah play-they come up with some wild ideas sometimes!;)
 Clean-up .and of course more talking...:D The Pau guys are really speedy when it comes to clean-up. Mom was really impressed and suggested they make a video to inspire others.
 Isaiah and Jeffrey-I actually got them to pose for a picture this time!!;)
 With lots of brothers Evie gets along with the Pau boys very well!
 Hanging out with Evie-the main source of attention.....
 Playing with the girls' dolls.:)
 Probably a discussion on something related to technology or media??;)
 Settling down for the movie....
 Deciding where to sit...
Sarah and I :)
 These pictures are sort of blurry because they were taken with Dad's cell phone.
Watching a movie is especially fun when it's with good friends...:)
 
Jumping ahead to a couple weeks ago, Thursday, Caytlin and I were able to have lunch with some really special friends. We had a geat time with homemade grilled cheese, fries, lemonade and good, godly, fellowship.
 The table set and waiting....
 We all play piano which is a really fun common bond......
 We had a really good time visiting...:)
 Afterwards we took some pictures-Abigail (just above to the right)  and her family will be moving out of state this summer. 
  We had fun thinking of different ways to pose for photos.:)
Special friendships are a gift from the Lord.:) We haven't known each other that long, but we will miss Abigail very much. (It was through Sarah I first met Abigail two years ago, and our friendship, as a group has been a real joy!.:)
 
The following day, we had a Birthday Tea for our friend Kristie Tang in honor of her 15th birthday.:)
 This was the first tea party we'd ever thrown and praise the Lord, everything came together! (Ryan, who has now gotten his license, took the boys out for the day!)
It was fun to buy a tea pot for the occasion since we usually boil water for hot drinks in a "big pot."
 Our birthday lady!:)
 This was Evie's first tea party...:P
 Our Joshua stayed to be company for Joshua Tang. We have enjoyed teasing the boys and figuring out how to call the correct "Joshua."
 Joanna and Caytlin.....
 Mom serving the tea......
 After tea we all enjoyed going outside for some fresh air and outdoor play.:)
 Kristie and her camera.:) I really like this picture. I think it captures the photographer in her very well:)
Kristie enjoyed the tire swing, too.;)
 The tire swings are usually occupied no matter what the age is.....;)
 We came inside for some games and Joshua shared one of the boys' favorite computer programs-Digital Lego Designer.....
 Writing out acronyms for Kristie's name.....
 The boys drew birthday pictures for Kristie
 Happy Birthday, Kristie!
 The boys joined us later for the cake......:)
 Timmy's orange smile.....
 Mrs. Tang, Kristie and Joanna. We have really been enjoying getting to know these ladies.:)
 We see the wisdom of our heavenly in Father creating friendships. He knows how much we need the encouragement and fellowship. We are grateful for likeminded sisters in the Lord and for the opportunity to visit.:)
 
Last of all, our family really enjoyed going to Oak Glen this year again.
 Packed and ready to go! Nathanael is so excited ...;)
 Timmy really enjoys going to Oak Glen and he's always asking days prior to the time we leave, "Is this the day we go to Oak Glen??"
 We got into the retreat on Thursday night really late as we had to wait for Ryan to get off of work. (He has had a job now for awhile and works alongside as an assistant doing construction.) Here is Timmy fast asleep Friday morning.....;)
 Evie has really befriended plastic bottles for some reason......she loves them!!!
 The weekend always flies by, but it holds each year, it's own set of unique memories. This year Caytlin and I really enjoyed spending more time together than we usually get to, in the busyness of home life.;)
And of course spending time with Evie.:)
 Meal-time with everyone except mommy who took the picture...:) Unfortunately Daddy wasn't able to get the time off to come with us this year. He ended up joining us Saturday for the last day of the retreat.
 The meetings were encouraging and the speakers messages were really challenging. It seems like each year there's something of a theme unplanned by men but, planned by the Lord. It's always neat to see how the messages connect.
 Walking with mommy.:)
 Daniel and Timmy enjoying some of the wooden guns Daniel has made....
 Ryan standing at the chapel entrance....
 Timmy enjoying the merry-go-round, one of the famous enjoyments of Oak Glen.:)
 Joshua enjoys making new friends....
 Mommy and the kiddos...
 Caytlin and I enjoyed doing the ladies craft together. They taught us how to make jewelry and decorate dishes with sharpies. We ended up spending a lot of time there in between meetings trying to finish up our crafts.:)
 Evie, our cookie enjoying her cookie.;)
 Friday night we had the "Talent Show"
 Ryan had the job of announcing each act....
 Ryan showed his short, Faith v. Fear...:)
 Natey played When I Survey The Wonderous Cross....
 Daniel played his ocarina and sang the poem Mommy wrote for Daddy some years back-The Brave Knight.
 Caytlin and I sang a duet-How Deep the Father's Love
 Uncle Paul was there again this year and he played two different kinds of ram's horns and the saw! It was quite a highlight!
 Saturday: preparing for the last meetings.....
 Our family row....cleaner this year...;)
 Daniel and Jeremy working on their pine derby race cars.....
 Daddy and Caytlin at lunch! When we left our cabin to go to the prayer meeting at 7 am Dad was already there! He left the house at 5:30 as it's a two hour drive!:)
Filling Daddy in on what he missed.....:)
Evie enjoying sitting in a big person's seat.;)
  Ryan manned the video camera for the weekend, recording the meetings and talent show...
 The race cars made this year....
 They had the races on Saturday afternoon and Daniel beat every single car with his "Silver Bullet"!!
 Our girl is growing up fast!
 Getting ready for the last meeting in which Mr. Pilkington (yellow shirt) spoke on loving your neighbor.
Daniel loading the songbooks with Mr. Osborn....
 Mr. Foyle cheering up Evie-she'd had a long day and was ready to go home.:)
Final goodbyes before the trip home.....:)
Mr. and Mrs. Osborn and Rob Pilkington-old friends...:)
We've enjoyed the times of fellowship the Lord has provided for us lately and are looking forward to more. Sometimes we get so carried away with  life and forget to appreciate those around us. It's good to take some time to stop and enjoy other believers company, recounting the Lord's faithful work in our lives and encouraging one another. I was recently listening to a talk on the church and family and the speaker said that Christian believers tend to be the champions of activity filled lives apart from godly fellowship. It's so clear in the Scriptures that God created us to have fellowship with Him, but we also need to remember to make time for fellowship with others as well.:) I think these verses really exemplify what true fellowship is in Jesus Christ.
 
"And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart,  praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved."
  Acts 2:42-47